This recipe uses curry powder to add a twist to traditional stir-fry. Of course, I found the original recipe to be a bit lacking. I added some more veggies and tweaked a couple ingredients, then served the stir-fry over couscous. Try it over rice or egg noodles as well. The vegetables can be swapped for whatever is available/in season (or to your preference).

You can look for beef pre-sliced for stir-fry to save time, but slicing it yourself will probably be cheaper. Look for tender cuts like top loin, top sirloin, tenderloin, or even flank. Placing the beef in the freezer for 10-15 minutes will help firm it up, making it easier to slice the beef into thin strips.

Curried Beef Stir-Fry
adapted from Southern Living

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange), sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 large apple, such as fuji, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
hot cooked couscous or rice, for serving

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Season beef with sea salt and black pepper. Add the beef, working in batches if needed, and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high, add additional oil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add red onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2-3 minutes, then add bell pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes, adding additional oil if needed, then add zucchini and saute 2-3 minutes. Add diced apple, apple juice, soy sauce, and curry powder. Bring liquid to a boil and return beef to pan along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Toss ingredients, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, adding additional apple juice if needed.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked couscous or rice.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, the grocery store had big, beautiful, emerald green zucchini and I decided to turn them into muffins. This recipe was originally for quick bread, but easily translates into muffins with a few adjustments. These muffins are the last gasp of summer, with earthy zucchini and bright flavors from lemon and pineapple. They are light and also unbelievably moist (and pretty much idiot-proof as far as baking goes). Cinnamon adds a richness and fills the kitchen with that wonderful fresh-baked scent.

Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest (finely grated lemon rind)
2 cans (8 oz each) crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350F and coat muffin tins with cooking spray.

Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add sugar, grated zucchini, canola oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat until just blended. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon just until all dry ingredients are moist and combine. Fold in pineapple.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins (about 1/4 cup per muffin cup). Bake (one sheet at a time) for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 24 muffins (and only about 200 calories per muffin!).

This is actually a combination of two recipes from Real Simple magazine, along with my own personal twist. Ratatouille is usually thought of as a summer dish, given the use of produce such as eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. It also works well as an end-of-the-season dish, when the last of the summer produce arrives at the grocery store or farmer’s markets. For the past two weeks, my local grocery store has had the biggest, most beautiful zucchini, so I wanted to seize what it probably my last chance of the season to enjoy them!

Ratatouille is traditionally a meatless dish, comprised of vegetables and fresh herbs. One of the Real Simple recipes combined this dish with Italian sausage, which is a favorite in our house. It seemed like a winning combination, so I created this recipe for some dinner guests and received rave reviews. To complete the meal, I served this over warm egg noodles tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Tip: Cut the eggplant first and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow to set while you prepare the rest of the vegetables. Rinse  and pat dry before adding to saute. This will remove most of the bitter flavor and improve the texture of the eggplant (prevents it from getting overly soggy and mushy).

Look for eggplants that heavy for their size. This indicates ripeness and also improves the texture and flavor of the dish.

Ratatouille w/ Italian Sausages
adapted from Real Simple

4 Italian sausages, 1 lb, halved if desired
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, about 1 lb, cubed
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown sausages on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (sausages do not need to be cooked through). Arrange in a single layer in prepared baking dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, add onion and garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt and saute 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. If pan begins to dry out, add a little more olive oil. Saute 3 minutes and add zucchini and bell pepper. Saute an additional 3 minutes, then add tomatoes with liquid and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil and stir in chopped basil. Season to taste with black pepper.

Pour vegetable mixture over sausages in prepared baking dish. Turn sausages to coat (if desired, cut sausage in half). Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until sausages are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

As the dish cooks, the vegetables should start to release liqiud and create a sauce in the pan. If the pan dries out, though, just add a little more chicken stock.

Quick and easy dinners are a life-saver after a long day. Pasta dishes fit the bill perfectly, because while you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, you can chop and saute veggies and warm sauces. It involves a small amount of multi-tasking, but the result is a relative fast meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.

Recently, a friend was seeking suggestions on what to do with Great Northern White Beans. These are one of my favorite pantry items to go to, so I provided her with a couple of my white bean recipes, and it got me thinking about other white bean dishes. This recipe is what I could call a pantry-scraper, because all of the ingredients I stock regularly (except zucchini, and really, a can of diced tomatoes would work here just as well).

Spaghetti w/ Zucchini & White Beans

8 oz dried spaghetti, broken in half
Sea salt
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 medium size zucchini, diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern White Beans, drained and rinsed
Parmesan cheese, optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tbsp sea salt and dried spaghetti. Cook 8-10 minutes, until desired tenderness. Drain, toss in olive oil, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and onions with about 1/4 tsp salt for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add zucchini, red pepper flakes, and oregano and saute 3-5 minutes, until zucchini is cooked through but still crisp. Add white beans and saute until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed.

Add cooked pasta to skillet. Toss, adding some reserved pasta water if pasta begins to stick. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

Another recipe discovered while watching the Food Network on a Saturday morning, this one from 5 Ingredient Fix with Claire Robinson. The premise of the show is that each recipe is quick and easy, with five ingredients (plus salt and pepper). I upgraded by adding onion and garlic, then served this tasty side dish with some chicken.

Orzo w/ Zucchini & Feta
adapted from the Food Network

1 cup dried orzo
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 medium to large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspon of salt and dried orzo. Cook 8 minutes, orzo will be slightly undercooked, and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute onion and garlic 3-5 minutes until soft. Add zucchini and saute 3-5 minutes until slightly soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked orzo and reserved pasta water. Bring to a boil, tossing to mix. Add half of the feta and stir until melted into a sauce. Stir in most of the mint, reserving some for garnish.

Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat and top with remaining feta and mint.